


the bridge between us

by chahakyn



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Familiars, Fluff, M/M, Witch Lee Minhyuk (Monsta X), Witch's Familiar Chae Hyungwon, Witches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24259963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chahakyn/pseuds/chahakyn
Summary: minhyuk is a late-bloomer adult witch and hyungwon is his annoyingly human-like feline familiar. chaos ensues.-or, 5 times hyungwon drove minhyuk crazy as a cat and 1 time he didn't (but not in the way you think).
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon & Lee Minhyuk, Lee Hoseok | Wonho/Yoo Kihyun, Lee Minhyuk & Yoo Kihyun, Lee Minhyuk/Son Hyunwoo | Shownu
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	the bridge between us

1.

Minhyuk pulls down the brim of his hat as he sprints through the pouring rain. He stuffs his textbook and notes under his jacket, cursing the tutors for refusing to teach them rain-shielding charms until next week.

“’You don’t have the basic spell foundation to support it,’ they said. ‘It’s not raining _that_ hard,’ they said,” Minhyuk huffs snidely under his breath. He sighs in relief as he finally approaches home, picking up his speed a little. Water splashes around him, socks and shoes already soaked.

Minhyuk groans at his wet feet, quickly hopping up the steps to his front door. He shakes out his textbook and notes to rid them of any water droplets, so immersed in his task that he nearly steps on the black cat curled up on his doorstep.

“Holy _shit_ ,” Minhyuk spits out, quickly stepping back and nearly losing his balance on the rain-slicked stone step. The cat looks up, meowing quietly.

Minhyuk blinks, adjusting his stance and looking at the cat curiously. “Hello, there.”

The cat meows again, louder this time.

“I know, the weather sucks right now.” Minhyuk shrugs. The cat levels a nearly accusing glare at him.

Minhyuk shrugs again. “I can’t let you in. I’m allergic.”

The cat tilts its head in an oddly human-like gesture, pausing before standing up. It steps forward carefully, its gaze trained on Minhyuk the whole time.

“I _will_ sneeze,” Minhyuk warns. The cat stretches forward, attempting to sniff Minhyuk’s shoes. Minhyuk squats down slowly, carefully lifting his hand. The cat considers it for a moment, before meowing gently and butting its forehead against Minhyuk’s palm.

“Oh,” Minhyuk murmurs as he strokes the cat’s head slowly. “You’re soaked.” The cat purrs in response, moving forward to rub itself against Minhyuk’s arm.

Minhyuk scratches behind the cat’s ears, humming thoughtfully. “I’m not sneezing yet. Interesting. You’re kinda cute, though. You think I can get the tutors to teach me an allergy repellant charm or something?”

The cat purrs, letting out a little noise as it curls around Minhyuk’s leg, rubbing its cheek against his jeans.

“Okay, _fine_. I’ll spare you.” Minhyuk sighs, rubbing the cat’s head again before standing up and unlocking the front door. The cat darts inside, Minhyuk stumbling in behind him.

“It’s fucking _pouring_ ,” Minhyuk calls out to his roommate in lieu of a greeting, quickly shucking his shoes off.

“Which is why I stayed in today.” Kihyun doesn’t even look up from his laptop, withdrawing his hand from beneath a pile of blankets and decorative couch pillows to flick his wrist in the general direction of the bathroom. 2 towels come speeding from around the corner, followed by a clean change of clothing for Minhyuk. All articles of clothing proceed to smack Minhyuk in the side of the head.

“Gee, thanks,” Minhyuk says, pulling his socks off and wiggling desperately out of his soaking jeans.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Can you grab another for the cat?” Minhyuk holds up one towel as he furiously rubs at his hair with the other.

Kihyun blinks rapidly. “What cat?” He looks up from his screen, his eyes immediately darting to the small feline sniffing at the shoe rack.

“ _That_ cat,” Minhyuk mumbles, scooping up his wet clothes as he marches to the bathroom.

“You let in a stray?” Kihyun yelps, leaping off from the couch and scattering pillows onto the floor. The cat jumps, eyeing Kihyun warily.

“It was cold and wet!”

Kihyun picks up the pillows from ground, moving forward to shoo the cat away from the shoes. “It could be diseased! We could get rabies or fleas, or— I don’t know, something!” The cat hisses menacingly at Kihyun, causing him to pull back.

“Can’t you just check?” Minhyuk calls out wearily, struggling to pull his sweatshirt over his head as he emerges from the bathroom.

“I’m not a _vet_ ,” Kihyun intones angrily, glaring first at Minhyuk and then the cat.

“Yeah, but you _can_ check it, right?” Minhyuk kneels down, holding out a towel to the cat. The feline creeps closer, sniffing suspiciously at the cloth before it rubs its head against it. Minhyuk carefully wraps the cat up in the towel, gently drying off its fur.

Kihyun sighs. “I can, yeah.” He kneels down a little further away from the cat, right hand moving. He flicks his wrist, fingers twisting before relaxing as his hand runs lightly over the cat’s fur.

Minhyuk watches his hand movements curiously. “Diagnosis spell?”

“Yeah, you’ll learn it later.”

“Doubt it, they refuse to teach me anything useful,” Minhyuk sniffs indignantly, fingers coming up to scratch behind the cat’s ear. It purrs in contentment.

“It’s fine. Clean. Must be a new stray.”

“What gender is it? We can’t keep calling it an “’it’,” Minhyuk frowns.

Kihyun gets up and quickly retreats back to his nest of pillows and blankets. “Not telling you, because then you’re gonna name it and you’re gonna get attached.”

“I can just check the regular way,” Minhyuk says shrugging. Kihyun rolls his eyes.

“It’s a boy.”

“Hm…Hyungwon is a nice, boy name. I’ve always liked that name.” Minhyuk coos quietly at the cat, stroking his fur gently.

Kihyun scoffs. “See, you’re attached now. I’m not taking care of him. We don’t need pets.”

“You say,” Minhyuk holds up his finger and stalks off down the hall, emerging from Kihyun’s room moment later with a large rabbit in his arms, “as you have a pet rabbit.”

“Wonho is not a pet, he’s a familiar!” Kihyun leaps out of his seat again, snatching Wonho from Minhyuk’s arms possessively. Kihyun sets him down on the couch next to him, rubbing Wonho’s head. Wonho’s ears perk up, teeth clicking together gently in bliss.

Minhyuk throws his hands up, irritated. “Hyungwon can be my familiar then!”

“You’re not far enough along to declare a familiar yet!”

“I’ll just keep him until I can declare it, then.” Minhyuk sticks his tongue out at Kihyun as he bends down to pet Hyungwon again.

“Fine. But he’s your problem. And if it gets out of hand, I get to call when he leaves.”

“Yeah fine. Cute, cute, cute.” Minhyuk rubs the cat’s forehead gently with his pointer finger. The cat lunges for his finger, claws out and Minhyuk jerks back, falling back onto his ass. Kihyun snickers into his fist.

“Stupid cat,” Minhyuk groans half-heartedly. Hyungwon hisses at him, tail swishing menacingly back and forth before he turns up his nose and saunters away.

“Smart cat. He got you to bring him in before he started acting all nasty.” Kihyun smirks, leaning back in his seat.

“Too smart, I’m gonna have get rid of him. Did you hear me?” Minhyuk raises his voice slightly, addressing the cat across the room. “I’m turning you out of here once it stops raining!”

The cat turns, giving Minhyuk an almost sharp glance before he closes his eyes. He yawns, stretching out on the floor in front of the space heater.

“It’s been, like, “Kihyun checks his phone, “less than 10 minutes and that cat already owns you.”

2.

“So, you…you angle your wand up and…angle it up…how far up?” Minhyuk groans, flipping faster through his handwritten notes before squinting at his laptop screen. A GIF of a piece of paper flying up and then floating down loops on-screen unhelpfully.

“Angle it up, okay, okay. I can do that.” He takes a deep breath before flicking his wrist in the desired motion. His notes flutter weakly with a sigh.

“Not right, maybe flick harder? Higher?” Minhyuk tries again, but the papers don’t even move this time.

“Okay, okay, this is…fine.” Minhyuk sinks back down into his seat, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. “ _Fine_.”

A plaintive _meow_ sounds from below him, next to his chair. Minhyuk peeks out from under his hands and glances down. Hyungwon blinks slowly at him, yawning.

“Not right now, I’m busy,” Minhyuk says, sitting up straighter and bending over to peer at his notes for the umpteenth time. “I’ll pet you later.”

Hyungwon meows again, more insistent. Minhyuk ignores the noise, staring intently at his notes while not absorbing a word. The suspicious lack of noises coming from the floor leads Minhyuk to glance down curiously, only to yelp in shock as Hyungwon leaps into his lap.

“H-hello there.” Minhyuk pats his head. Hyungwon pokes his head over to sniff curiously at Minhyuk’s papers, deciding to leap nimbly onto the desk.

“No, no, nonono, you can’t-” Minhyuk sputters, trying to push Hyungwon away from his notes. Hyungwon only meows again, quickly padding in a circle before settling neatly on top of Minhyuk’s notes. He licks delicately at one paw, eyes blinking closed.

“Agh, I need my notes…” Minhyuk tries to tuck his fingers under Hyungwon’s stomach to pick him up, but Hyungwon makes an angry hissing noise, curling up tighter on the papers. Minhyuk reaches out to grab Hyungwon from the other side but yanks his hand back as Hyungwon swipes at him.

“Hello? When did you get so rude? I need my notes.”

Minhyuk tries again, this time not dodging fast enough to escape Hyungwon’s claws. Minhyuk yelps as he cradles his hand, skin burning from the 3 horizontal stripes Hyungwon’s claws leave behind.

“Oh, you are in _so_ much trouble,” Minhyuk snaps angrily, chair scraping across the floor as he stands.

“I take all this shit from Kihyun because I want you to stay and all you do is bother me,” he huffs and, without a second thought, flicks his wand, levitating Hyungwon up and off of the desk and onto the floor.

“If I have to hear Kihyun say how much better Wonho is as a familiar one more time, I _swear_ I’m going to…” He trails off, looking at his now Hyungwon-free desk before looking back at the floor. “Did I do that?”

Hyungwon yawns, letting out a small satisfied noise as he curls his tail around himself.

Minhyuk looks down at his hands, a grin taking over his face. “Th-thanks!”

Hyungwon merely stretches, standing up and sauntering out the door of Minhyuk’s room.

3.

“Hyungwon!” Minhyuk throws the door of his room open, calling out for the cat. Hyungwon freezes, eyes wide as he stares at Minhyuk from the middle of the hallway.

“There you are.” Minhyuk strolls down the hall, scooping up the surprisingly unresistant feline. “We’re starting the familiar unit in class tomorrow, _finally_. And I have every intention of bringing you and being extra prepared so I can show my teachers that I’m _not_ useless and dumb. So, do not,” Minhyuk wags his finger threateningly at Hyungwon, “Fuck this up for me.”

Hyungwon apparently takes this as a challenge, because no sooner have the words left Minhyuk’s mouth, he leaps out of Minhyuk’s arms and runs off down the hall, sliding into Kihyun’s room.

“Minhyuk!” Kihyun’s shrill scream is hell on Minhyuk’s ears. “Don’t you _dare_ let your asshole cat near Wonho!”

“I _know_ ,” Minhyuk yells back, scrambling down the hallway. He slides across the laminate and into Kihyun’s room on unsteady socked feet, followed closely by Kihyun. He sees Hyungwon perched on the bed next to Wonho and scoops him up carefully, wincing as Hyungwon thrashes in his grip.

“Hey, hey, tone it down,” Minhyuk pleads, receiving a swat to the chin for his troubles. Fortunately, no blood is drawn as Hyungwon is kind enough to keep his claws in. Minhyuk lets go of him anyway, watching him pad back to Kihyun’s bed and leap onto the covers.

“Don’t let him touch Wonho.” Kihyun makes a move to step forward. Minhyuk glances at Hyungwon briefly before shaking his head and pulling Kihyun back.

“He won’t hurt Wonho, it’s fine.”

Kihyun’s eyes narrow as he watches the two animals eye each other, sniffing the air. A beat passes before Hyungwon settles onto the bed next to Wonho, nudging Wonho’s paw with his nose. They watch as Wonho’s nose twitches before he settles his head on paw, leaning slightly against Hyungwon.

“Well, they’re…friendly,” Kihyun says slowly, turning towards Minhyuk. “Why is he being more…disagreeable than usual?”

“I said I was going to bring him to class for our familiar lesson. He didn’t seem to take too kindly to it.”

Kihyun shrugs, turning to take a seat at his desk. “Well, if he doesn’t want to come then you can’t make him.”

“But what am I going to do for class?” Minhyuk whines, wringing his hands.

Kihyun raises a brow. “Nothing? They’re not expecting you to bring a potential familiar anyways.”

“Yeah, but I want to prove to them that I’m on top of things.” Minhyuk frowns as he flops onto the floor, looking up at Kihyun. Kihyun shrugs again, glancing at Hyungwon and Wonho on the bed.

“Hyungwon doesn’t want you to prove it, apparently.”

Minhyuk groans, peeking up over the edge of the bed to look at Hyungwon. Hyungwon tilts his head, giving Minhyuk his signature look of disdain.

“Just go without him, it’ll be fine.” Kihyun nudges Minhyuk’s thigh with his foot, resting his chin on the back of the chair. “Familiars are a big step and they take time. You’re already way ahead of the curve by having a potential candidate, no need to bring him to class.”

“Yeah…” Minhyuk trails off, leaning back to lie on the floor. Kihyun tilts his head, nudging harder.

“Something on your mind?”

“If I bring him, I could have the teachers check to make sure he’s really my familiar. I don’t want to be wrong. I always get things wrong and I want to prove to them that I can be right, ” Minhyuk says softly, eyes trained resolutely on the ceiling. Kihyun gives Minhyuk a long look before standing, moving over to the bed.

“Can I borrow him for a sec?” Kihyun asks Wonho, whose nose twitches sleepily in response. Kihyun carefully picks the pliant cat up before setting him gently on Minhyuk’s stomach. Minhyuk jerks in surprise, stilling as he sees Hyungwon’s copper eyes peering down at him. He carefully lifts his hand and strokes down Hyungwon’s back, gently scratching at the base of his tail. Hyungwon immediately begins purring, kneading his paws into Minhyuk’s chest. Minhyuk winces but continues petting and scratching as Hyungwon settles onto Minhyuk’s chest, paws tucked under his body.

Kihyun watches them interact with a knowing eye. “How long does it feel like you’ve known him?”

“It’s only been a couple of months, but it…feels like he’s been here for years.”

“Mm. Does it feel like he’s more than an animal sometimes? Nearly human?”

Minhyuk snorts. “He’s definitely as annoying as a human. But yeah, I forgot he’s a cat most times.” Minhyuk rubs the front of Hyungwon’s face in upward strokes, smiling as Hyungwon’s eyes shut in a sign of trust.

“Would you trust him to protect you?”

Hyungwon’s eyes blink open, gaze calmly settling on Minhyuk. Minhyuk’s brow furrows as he shifts a little, propping his head up to look directly at Hyungwon. The two share a long look before Hyungwon yawns, settling his head against Minhyuk’s chest. Minhyuk looks up at Kihyun.

“Yes.” Simple, firm, no doubt in his voice whatsoever. Kihyun nods.

“Then he’s your familiar. That’s all there is to it.”

“Really?”

“Well, there are some medical tests and then the linking spells, but what you just declared is the most important part.” Kihyun points to them before getting up from his seat and settling on the bed. Wonho wakes up in an instant, hopping over to curl against Kihyun’s thigh.

“That pull you feel towards him? That’s the true bond between you two. The subsequent spells just amplify your bond, making it stronger and more helpful to call on in times of need. But for all intents and purposes, he’s already your familiar. He pretty much was the moment you two met.”

“Huh,” Minhyuk muses, turning back to look at Hyungwon. He strokes a finger up the slope of his nose, rubbing his neck. Hyungwon’s purring intensifies.

“You don’t want to go to class then?” Minhyuk murmurs to him. Hyungwon cracks one eye open, giving Minhyuk a look. Minhyuk snorts, nodding as he wags his finger at Hyungwon in a mockingly accusatory way.

“Fair. But _you_ owe me one.”

Hyungwon meows quietly, batting gently at Minhyuk’s finger before settling down again, eyes blinking closed.

4.

Minhyuk breathes a sigh of relief as the door closes and Hyunwoo presses him against it, hands traveling up Minhyuk’s waist. Minhyuk loops his arms around Hyunwoo’s neck, twisting his fingers together behind Hyunwoo’s head as he leans forward.

Hyunwoo’s mouth meets his in the middle, lips so soft and sure. It feels so, _so_ good.

It’s been entirely too long. Studies and practice and just trying to catch up to his classmates’ level has been taxing to the point where so many other things he used to do have dropped off his plate. Including this.

Luckily, Hyunwoo has very good memory. He knows exactly what Minhyuk wants, what he needs. He is also very eager sometimes, a fact Minhyuk is reminded of as Hyunwoo’s hands quickly travel up Minhyuk’s shirt while his tongue works his way into Minhyuk’s mouth.

“A lot on your mind?” Hyunwoo hums, nipping at Minhyuk’s bottom lip as he runs blunt nails down Minhyuk’s spine.

Minhyuk shivers, laughing breathily. “Y-you could say that, yeah.” He tangles his fingers in the short hair at the nape of Hyunwoo’s neck, tugging insistently. Hyunwoo lets a quiet growl in response, pressing Minhyuk harder against the door as his hands roam his chest. Minhyuk makes a helpless noise, pushing their mouths together desperately.

A plaintive _meow_ sounds from the vicinity of the floor. Minhyuk cracks an eye open and peers down at Hyungwon over Hyunwoo’s shoulder. Sitting a foot away from them, Hyungwon gives them a condescending look before meowing again.

“Hush, I fed you already,” Minhyuk mutters, shooing him away with a flick of his wrist and a gently placed levitation spell. Hyungwon floats into the kitchen, mewing quietly the whole way. Minhyuk finishes the spell and Hyunwoo takes the chance to nudge his thigh between Minhyuk’s legs, pressing up firmly.

“ _Mm_ …” Minhyuk hums quietly, hips jerking up as his grip tightens on Hyunwoo’s hair.

Hyunwoo makes a soft noise before moving to kiss down Minhyuk’s neck. “Good?”

“God, yes.”

A loud _meow_ comes from the kitchen.

Minhyuk groans. “ _Later_ , Hyungwon.”

Hyunwoo scrapes his teeth against Minhyuk’s pulse before looking up. “Couch?”

“If you take your shirt off?” Minhyuk asks hopefully, giggling as Hyunwoo huffs out a laugh in response. He affectionately taps under Minhyuk’s chin with his thumb before yanking his shirt off, tossing it to the side and falling back onto the couch with a casual grace. He stretches his legs out and throws one arm over the back of the couch.

Minhyuk licks his lips and makes a move to join him. He stops as Hyunwoo holds his hand up, brow raised.

“You too, hm?”

Minhyuk exhales in amusement, giving Hyunwoo a slow smile as he grips the bottom hem of his t-shirt and lifts up. Usually he’s up for more of a show, but today, Minhyuk is too impatient to be as much of a tease. He’s sure Hyunwoo won’t mind.

He pulls off his shirt and lets it fall to the floor before stepping over to the couch, settling in Hyunwoo’s lap and sliding forward. Their lips meet again, Hyunwoo’s hand coming up to palm the back of Minhyuk neck as Minhyuk’s hands glide up Hyunwoo’s chest. Lips and teeth and tongue and insistent fingers all blend together into a haze of building pleasure, their breath falling heavily on each other. Spending time with Hyunwoo, like this, always feels like falling into a secret, private world. Just for the two of them. It’s perfect.

Another _meow_ , louder than before, comes from next to the couch. Minhyuk pulls away reluctantly and looks down at Hyungwon, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

“ _What_?” He snaps, eyes narrowing, “I’m kind of _busy_ , if you can’t tell.”

Hyungwon lets out a hiss, ears flattening. Hyunwoo peers over the edge of the couch, looking at Hyungwon carefully.

“Should we…”

“No, it’s fine.” Minhyuk turns away from Hyungwon, pressing his hand to Hyunwoo’s cheek. “Sorry.”

“All good,” Hyunwoo hums, pressing a kiss to Minhyuk’s jaw. There’s a rustling noise and then Hyungwon suddenly leaps between Hyunwoo and Minhyuk, yowling insistently. His claws dig into Hyunwoo’s skin, prompting a startled yelp out of him.

“Hyungwon!” Minhyuk pulls away from Hyunwoo, scrambling to pick Hyungwon up. Hyungwon hisses, spitting angrily as Minhyuk wrestles him away. Hyunwoo sits up as Minhyuk manages to extract Hyungwon. He takes a few steps away from the couch with Hyungwon in his arms, grip unforgiving.

“What _is_ this? How could you be so rude?” Minhyuk says angrily, turning Hyungwon in his arms so their eyes meet. Hyungwon only gives a scornful look before twisting in Minhyuk’s grip. Minhyuk sighs heatedly and loosens his grip, letting Hyungwon hop down. Hyungwon pads a few feet away, sitting down and licking his paw while keeping a careful eye on them.

“Hyunwoo…” Minhyuk rushes back over and sits next to him, wincing as he sees the scratch marks on Hyunwoo’s bare chest.

“It’s fine, no harm done.” Hyunwoo runs a hand over the wounds, healing them in an instant. Minhyuk presses his fingers gently to the skin, examining the once-wounded areas carefully.

“Are you sure? Does it still hurt? I can try to find a pain-relieving spell—”

“Minhyuk,” Hyunwoo says softly, pulling Minhyuk’s hand away from his skin. He links their fingers together, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. “It’s okay, please don’t worry.”

Minhyuk sighs, shaking his head. “God, I’m so sorry about him.”

“It’s alright, _really_. Your familiar hasn’t met me before so I’m a threat to him and you, in his eyes. If he objects to me, it’s not my place to fight it. We can do this again another time?” Hyunwoo looks up at Minhyuk, his hand coming up to rest gently against the bare skin of Minhyuk’s waist. Minhyuk nods, moving his hand to cover Hyunwoo’s.

“Y-yeah, I’d like that. A lot.”

The corner of Hyunwoo’s lip lifts. “I know.” He nods in thanks as Minhyuk waves his hand, summoning Hyunwoo’s shirt from the floor. Hyunwoo dresses and stands, fingers tangling with Minhyuk’s as he stands, and they walk towards the door. Hyunwoo takes his bag and jacket.

“See you soon, then?” Minhyuk’s voice is hopeful.

“Count on it.” Hyunwoo turns, gently grasping Minhyuk’s chin with his thumb and forefinger and tilting his head up. Their lips meet chastely once, twice, and then a third time with a little more tongue than is deemed “chaste”. Hyunwoo laughs against Minhyuk’s lips and nips gently before pulling away and pressing a kiss to Minhyuk’s forehead.

“Ahh, why do you have to leave?” Minhyuk whines, pulling Hyunwoo close and burying his face in his neck.

Hyunwoo raises a brow, arm wrapping gently around Minhyuk. “Maybe we’ll try my place next time? We know Pip likes you.”

“Yeah, say hi to him for me.” Minhyuk leans forward and peppers Hyunwoo’s cheek with a few kisses before backing away. “Text me!”

Hyunwoo nods, smiling back at Minhyuk before he closes the door behind him. The second the door closes, Minhyuk slaps his hands to his face, letting out a long groan.

“ _Ugh_ , did you see him? He’s so hot!” Minhyuk drags his hands down his face, twisting to glare at Hyungwon.

“ _You_. You’re such a nuisance.”

Hyungwon cocks his head innocently.

“How could you be so rude? You hurt Hyunwoo!” Minhyuk kneels down on the floor, bending over to look Hyungwon firmly in the eyes.

“You and I have a special bond, but that doesn’t mean you can push me or my friends around. That I will _not_ tolerate, do you understand?” Minhyuk’s voice is uncharacteristically cold, gaze sharp.

Hyungwon holds Minhyuk’s gaze for a long moment before blinking and dipping his head in some semblance of a nod. Minhyuk sighs.

“I should have introduced you two and given you a chance to get acquainted, that’s on me. I’ll do better next time.” He reaches out cautiously, waiting for permission to touch. Hyungwon moves to butt his head against Minhyuk’s fingers, allowing him to pet him.

“So, did you want to eat?” Minhyuk peers over at Hyungwon’s bowl, noting its half-full contents.

“Fuck you, you aren’t even hungry, are you?” Hyungwon meows, sitting down elegantly before lifting his paw and licking it delicately.

Minhyuk groans. “Don’t sass me like that, you bastard. You owe me _big_ time.”

5.

“Min? You alright?”

“Fine.”

“You don’t look fine-”

“Don’t wanna talk about it.” Minhyuk waves his hand, grabbing his shoes and lining them up neatly at the door. He stands up stiffly and begins to walk to his room.

“Hey.” Kihyun strides quickly to Minhyuk side, hand landing gently on his shoulder. Minhyuk turns slowly, blinking.

“I was thinking of making some dinner tonight. I’ll make your favorite if you help?” Kihyun flashes him a hopeful smile, expression falling as Minhyuk sighs quietly.

“Ki, I just…” Minhyuk gives Kihyun a sad smile, shoulders drooping slightly under his touch. “I can’t. Not tonight.”

“Alright. Do you, um…” Kihyun wrings his hands together briefly. “Do you need anything?”

“Just some space, I think.”

Kihyun moves his hand so that Minhyuk is pulled into a gentle half-hug. “You’ll tell me if you need anything else?”

“Yeah.” Minhyuk pulls away, quickly stepping down the hall to his room. He closes the door behind him, leaning his back against it as he pulls papers out of his bag before dropping the heavy satchel to the floor.

He looks at the stack of papers in his hand, red marks scratched all over his hard work. He’d worked _so_ hard for all of this, so much practice and so much studying and so much effort. And all for this. For snide comments about his age, pitiful glances in his directions, and a failed exam.

Minhyuk’s hold tightens slightly on the exam, the paper crumpling slightly in his tight grip.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. To think that you could start so late and still be good._

The red marks slowly blur into the paper, and the paper turns into a white smudeg as Minhyuk feels tears well up. He sniffs quietly, angrily rubbing his eyes before looking down at the papers again. Anger surges forward, and Minhyuk glares once more at the papers before flinging them onto the floor.

“ _Fuck_ that,” he hisses venomously, kicking at a few sheets before stepping over them and climbing into bed. Minhyuk yanks the covers over his head, breathing heavily.

A choked sob escapes, and he clamps his hands over his mouth. Minhyuk’s eyes squeeze shut as he attempts to control his breathing, breath hot against his face as he cries into his hands. His tears burn tracks down his cheeks, not worth the effort of wiping away as more flood out.

Minhyuk curls tighter into his sheets, cocooning himself in the cloth with the intention of staying this way for the next hour, if not more. A sharp tug at the covers startles him into peeking out, tears blurring his vision.

He can’t see anything tugging at his sheets; but then, a quiet _meow_ sounds from the vicinity of the floor at the foot of his bed.

Minhyuk lets out a nasally sigh, yanking the sheets over his head. “Go away.” He feels something land on the bed.

There is a beat of silence, before a little rustling sound, and then Hyungwon is batting at Minhyuk’s arm with his paw. Minhyuk exhales and pulls his arm away.

Undeterred, the cat moves forward, paw coming forward to bat against Minhyuk’s head under the covers.

“Fuck _off_ ,” Minhyuk snaps, flinging the covers back and subsequently throwing Hyungwon off the bed. A small _thump_ sounds as Hyungwon hits the floor, landing on his feet. Minhyuk winces before peeking over the edge of the bed. Hyungwon looks up at Minhyuk from the floor, clearly unimpressed. Minhyuk shakes his head.

“Go away. I don’t need this right now,” He says almost plaintively, throwing Hyungwon one last look before tugging the covers over his head again, turning so that his back is facing the cat.

But apparently Hyungwon has no idea when to stop because, within seconds, Minhyuk can feel him wiggling under the covers, letting out a mournful little noise.

He clambers over Minhyuk’s back, sliding over so that he is perched right in front of Minhyuk’s face. He looks down at Minhyuk for a moment before closing his eyes and gently butting his head against Minhyuk’s forehead. Minhyuk closes his eyes, sighing.

He reaches up, fingers finding the spot behind Hyungwon’s ears and scratching it so Hyungwon purrs. “Sorry,” he whispers. The cat purrs louder, slowly opening his eyes and regarding Minhyuk before slinking forward. He settles between Minhyuk’s arm and his chest, curling into the small space.

Minhyuk moves his hand to cradle Hyungwon, his arm stroking his neck carefully. Hyungwon meows quietly, his tail twisting gently around Minhyuk’s wrist.

“I’m…really sorry,” Minhyuk whispers, squeezing his eyes shut as tears begin to roll slowly down his cheek again. Hyungwon purrs, tongue darting out to lick at his chin.

Minhyuk sobs silently, holding Hyungwon like a lifeline as he does so. Hyungwon, surprisingly quiet and mellow in this instance, lets himself be held and stroked. He purrs and purrs, the vibrations not even ceasing as Minhyuk finally pushes himself up on his elbow and sniffles, scrubbing at his cheeks with the back of his hand.

He pulls the covers back, the scattered test papers on the floor catching his eye again. He freezes.

Hyungwon meows, eyes knowing as Minhyuk looks down at the papers. Minhyuk sighs, waving his hand and watching as the papers collect themselves and stack neatly on the desk.

“Tomorrow. I’ll go over the exam tomorrow.”

This seems to satisfy Hyungwon, who leaps down off the bed and trots over to the door, waiting for Minhyuk to open it. This he does, and witch and familiar pad down the hall and into the empty kitchen.

Minhyuk quietly opens the fridge door. He squints at the two plates covered in plastic wrap on the second shelf.

_made your favorite anyways. when you’re feeling better, we’ll make dinner and maybe bake cookies. don’t let it get to you, you’ve got this._

_ki_

Minhyuk stares down at the note, tears welling up in his eyes. He sniffles, wiping his nose and looking down at Hyungwon.

“I’m so lucky to have him.”

Hyungwon meows quietly, as if in agreement. He pads closer, twining himself around Minhyuk’s ankles. Minhyuk sighs, reaching down to scoop Hyungwon into his arms. Hyungwon, for once, does not object to being picked up and burrows deeper into the crook of Minhyuk’s arm.

+1

Minhyuk walks into his room, starting at the sight of a strange young man sitting on his bed. Minhyuk’s wand is up in an instant, trained on the man.

“Wh-who the fuck are _you_?” He stutters out. The man seems to be unarmed, but you can never be too careful. Minhyuk mentally runs through his options. Kihyun is out for class, Hyunwoo is definitely at work. He discretely feels his pocket for his phone, heart falling as he remembers placing it on the kitchen counter. _Fuck_.

“You witches don’t seem to have a lot of brain up there, do you?” The man raises an eyebrow, tapping his temple. Minhyuk snarls, spitting out a spell under his breath as he flicks his wand. The man deflects it with a wave his hand.

Minhyuk launches more spells, any he can think of as his mind spins in panic. The man parries them all easily, never attacking back.

“That was a joke. You’re plenty smart, I know,” the man calls out over the sound of magic sizzling in the air, raising both arms in a gesture of surrender. Minhyuk frowns, ceasing his attack but keeping his wand level.

“I don’t care. Who are you?”

“You’ll figure it out eventually.” The man shrugs, stretching briefly before slipping off the bed.

“How did you deflect my attacks so easily without a wand? If you’re so powerful, what do you want from me?” Minhyuk snaps, standing in front of the door to prevent the man from passing. He belatedly notes the man is a bit taller than him.

The man raises a brow. “Power isn’t a factor. It’s easier to handle someone’s magic when you’ve been linked. Like how walking through deep snow isn’t as hard if you step in someone else’s footprints.” The man steps toward the door, tilting his head. “The link is the footprint.”

“So, you’re saying we’re linked?”

The man makes an annoyed noise, trying to sidestep Minhyuk. “Yes, and if you don’t figure it out in the next 30 seconds—” The man tries to duck under his arm, but Minhyuk blocks him with his leg. The man pushes forward and they grapple each other for a brief moment before losing balance and tipping over, falling back into Minhyuk’s room. The man groans, rubbing his temples.

“If our magic is linked…” Minhyuk trails off, brows furrowed. He suddenly sits up and looks around, eyes darting about the room searching for something.

“Are you…Hyungwon?”

“ _Finally_. Yes, it’s me, you get the prize of my undying gratitude that you aren’t as slow as I first thought. Can I _please_ go to the kitchen to get some food?” Hyungwon huffs, untangling himself from Minhyuk and languidly pushing himself up from the floor. Minhyuk scrambles to his feet, following Hyungwon closely to the kitchen.

“You…you can shift?”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Does it matter?” Hyungwon opens the fridge, sniffing before closing it and looking accusingly at Minhyuk. “Can you get sushi takeout?”

“No. Prove you’re my familiar,” Minhyuk hisses, holding his wand up again.

Hyungwon lets out a long-suffering sigh. In the blink of an eye, a black cat takes the human form’s place in front of the fridge. He gives Minhyuk a withering look before morphing back into a human in a motion too fast for Minhyuk’s eyes to grasp.

“Is that proof enough?” Hyungwon crosses his arms over his chest.

“Uh, yes, yeah that’s…great.”

“Fantastic. Can we please get some good food? The fridge is empty and that’s a crime.” Hyungwon slams the fridge shut.

“Fine!” Minhyuk throws his hands up. “If I buy you sushi, will you shut up about food and answer my questions?”

Hyungwon turns on his heel, already heading for the door. “Yes, whatever, I’ll answer your questions if you just _feed_ me.”

“Can all familiars shift?” Minhyuk follows Hyungwon, nose wrinkling as Hyungwon takes one of Minhyuk’s favorite sweatshirts and tugs it over his head. Minhyuk belatedly notes it’s the sweatshirt Hyungwon always steals to sleep on in his animal form. Interesting.

“Yeah, if the link between a familiar and a witch is strong enough.”

“But you’ve only been with me for…” Minhyuk trails off, counting on his fingers. He stops at the glare Hyungwon levels at him.

“I said if the link is _strong_ enough, not if the link has been around _long_ enough. Use your head.”

“Huh.” Minhyuk muses as he picks up his phone and keys. Hyungwon’s words and tone of voice are harsh, but somehow, they don’t hurt. Perhaps because the tone has no threat of sharp claws or teeth behind it. Minhyuk laughs to himself at the thought of Hyungwon being more threatening as a cat.

Another thought occurs. “Then what about Wonho? Kihyun’s familiar?”

“Well, think about it. Why do you think Kihyun’s spent so much of his time locked up in his room recently?” Hyungwon grins as Minhyuk’s eyes narrow. Minhyuk hisses under his breath, picking up his phone as his fingers type furiously over the sound of Hyungwon’s snickering.

“Kihyun has a _lot_ of explaining to do.”

**Author's Note:**

> a lot of the relationships here are left open to interpretation. are minhuk and hyunwoo fwb? lovers? kinda sorta dating? who knows?!  
> what are wonho and kihyun getting up to? who knows?!  
> are hyungwon and minhyuk gonna become a thing? who knows, my friend. who knows...  
> find me on [tumblr](https://shizuoi.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/peachyminhyk/)!


End file.
